Privacy

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Google Allows Creditors to Brick Your Phone (lemmy.world)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by MisterFrog to c/[email protected]

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I installed NetGuard about a month ago and blocked all internet to apps, unless they're on a whitelist. No notifications from this particular system app (that can't be disabled) until recently when it started making internet connection requests to google servers. Does anyone know when this became a thing?

Edit 2: I bought my Pixel 6 phone outright, directly from Google's Australian store. I have no creditors.

Were the courts not enough control for creditors? Since when are they allowed to lock you out of your purchased property without a court order?

I don't even live in the US, so what the actual fuck?

Edit 1: You can check it's installed (~~stock~~ Pixel 6 android 14) Settings > Apps > All Apps > three dot menu, Show system > search "DeviceLockController".

I highly recommend getting NetGuard, you can enable pro features via their website if you have the APK for as low as 0.10€, but donate more, because it's amazing. You can also purchase via Google Play store.

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[–] [email protected] 94 points 8 months ago (11 children)

At least it's open-source: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/modules/DeviceLock/+/refs/heads/main/DeviceLockController/

And that'd be why custom roms have it. It's part of the base Android system.

[–] [email protected] 113 points 8 months ago (10 children)

I was able to start some of its private activities with ActivityLauncher as root. Most of them just crash immediately, but the help page is available. And yikes, they got them covered against a possible bypass, no developer tools or sideloading.

Still disappointed this is shipped in LineageOS, but I suspect not for much longer with that publicity.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 8 months ago (8 children)

So, that looks like this is less insane than it sounded... This is for if you buy your phone on a payment plan? Not for creditors more generally to have a option to repossess/dispossess your phone?

[–] SirQuackTheDuck 19 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Yeah, this is likely something that's configured on an OS level to talk to some server when being sold.

However, note that SIM cards can have a flag that might enable this app (given how much power sim cards have over phones)

Note: no source, just assumptions

Edit: second note: this app isn't present on my EU OnePlus Nord.

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